Ereputation crisis to Chinese Tourist

Tourism businesses can face a multifaceted reputation crisis, impacting outbound travel.

Understanding the Reputation Crisis Facing Chinese Tourists Abroad: A New Era in Global Travel Marketing

As international travel rebounds, Chinese tourists—once the world’s most significant demographic of outbound travelers—are once again packing their bags. However, recent years have introduced new dynamics, reshaping how Chinese tourists are perceived abroad and how they perceive the world themselves. These shifts are creating a “reputation crisis” that both affects and is affected by the global tourism industry.

The Evolving Image of Chinese Tourists Abroad

In the years leading up to the pandemic, the number of Chinese travelers going abroad had skyrocketed, reaching over 155 million in 2019. Chinese tourists became a key demographic for many countries, thanks to their reputation for significant spending in sectors such as luxury retail, hospitality, and cultural tourism. However, post-pandemic, factors like global economic strains, concerns about travel safety, and changing perceptions are impacting both the behavior of Chinese tourists and how they are received internationally.

For Chinese tourists, safety has become paramount. As tourism restarts, travelers are more discerning about the security and health standards in their destinations. Destinations once popular for their bustling energy or remote beauty are now evaluated based on their healthcare infrastructure, political stability, and local attitudes toward Chinese visitors.

Chinese tourists spend a lot of times checking online before their trip

Countries that are proactive in addressing safety concerns, provide language support, and maintain a welcoming attitude toward Chinese tourists have the potential to attract this key demographic.

Reputation Crisis: Mutual Perceptions and Misunderstandings

As Chinese tourists re-enter the global scene, they face challenges in perception. Issues like cultural misunderstandings, differences in travel customs, and at times strained complicated relations have led to a mixed reception in some destinations. For example, concerns over health protocols, hesitancies around social behaviors, and communication gaps have at times been misconstrued as a lack of respect for local cultures. These misunderstandings can shape the experiences of tourists abroad, impacting how they are treated and how they in turn perceive the destination.

For marketers, recognizing and addressing these unique needs and concerns is essential. Prioritizing safety, transparency, and cultural sensitivity is no longer a bonus—it’s a requirement. Effective strategies to attract Chinese tourists should emphasize the safety and stability of the destination, ease of access to health and language support, and a respectful, inclusive environment.

Chinese customers are easiest to lose.

…and difficult to regain.

In Part 1, I’ve outlined the recent incident leading to Chinese customer loss on a large scale and why it happens with them all the time.

🛠️ The question was: how to fix it?

Here’s a very interesting case study:

PROBLEM:

A tourist agency has been working with Chinese clients for years. One influential customer made a post on RED full of complaints. The artwork was done professionally to attract attention and defame the agency. With support of loyal followers and friends, the post got quite a traction on one of the key inspirational platforms in China. The impact on business was huge – no clients.

SOLUTION:

GMA analysed agency’s seasonal load and offered to let it cool down first. Next steps were:

1️⃣ A strategic post to be pinned on the official RED account
– Very clean and neat post showcasing various Chinese client feedbacks.
– Content as a “summary of this season’s work” reading that the agency has worked on challenges and values customer feedback
– We accumulated comments vaguely addressing the negative review
– We have driven engagement to the post equalling to genuineness
– We urged our client to give rewards to clients who can put comments under this post too.

The post is pinned, visible to any visitor of the account, and displays the good side of the service. The comments are growing organically.

2️⃣ PR and Q&A
We have helped agency to integrate into:
– Local forums where people ask for recommendations and feedbacs as these look trustworthy and independent (🤡)
– Local e-magazines that are also seen as “not sponsored” (🤡)

3️⃣ Never speak of the incident.

*******
RESULTS:
+230% followers in a week
+160% leads in a month
+874% engagement in a month


CONCLUSION:

We have chosen ways that are controlled, look genuine, and are long-term for the client. It pays off.

Bad things are persistent and require x15-times effort to get cleaned.

Why not KOL?

Everyone knows KOL/KOC are paid. 🙂

If you are facing a crisis, contact us to know more